The Greenway School in the Pul village of Samraong in Cambodia teaches English to children from poorer backgrounds, who otherwise could not afford education. Our local teachers will help you with preparing lessons and taking charge of your class, following our structured curriculum and weekly testing cycles. You might teach alone or alongside other internationals, like yourself, as a team.

Here you will have the opportunity to teach English to the local children. If you have never taught before, do not worry, we ensure you have all the tools and support you need to teach the children using creative and fun methods and games.

Every day over 400 children arrive at the Greenway School in Samraong. All of them are eager to learn and are extremely appreciative of those who can assist them with their educational development. Greenway School in Samraong was designed, built and completely operates under the guidance of our native Cambodian manager Mr. Ya Nuth.

Since beginning his work with the rural community of Samraong in 2008, Mr. Ya Nuth has become a figurehead of the local community. His valuable efforts in developing local schools and hospitals, with the help of volunteers, has had an unmeasurable positive effect on the local community. Greenway School was opened in 2013, offering free education for those who can otherwise not afford it. Greenway School is an extra learning option for the children, aged 6-15, who come from the Pul village as well as five other surrounding villages. Classroom sizes are typically between 25 and 30 students who currently possess only a basic level of English. The children attend a regular public school for three hours per day, where they don’t get the chance to learn much English. The public school shifts are divided into two groups, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon so the children attend Greenway School in their free time to get an extra push for on their education.

Reisroute

Samraong - Greenway School

About Your Location

Samraong is the capital of Oddar Meanchey province, which is Cambodia’s newest province. The province is located north of Siem Reap province and borders Thailand. The city of Siem Reap is about 120 km away from Samraong, currently about 4 hours by car, depending on the condition of the road. During the rainy season the trip may take considerably longer.

Aims & Objectives

There are two main objectives at this project. Firstly education, and secondly trying to create better future prospects for under-developed children from poor and remote areas in Cambodia. As well as simply offering this education, we are also trying to promote and encourage education among children who are not currently receiving any schooling. Regarding the older students, we actively encourage students to consider career paths and future employment.

We have a high level of flexibility for volunteers’ input for this project. The teaching primarily takes place in a traditional classroom setting. However, we actively encourage creative input from volunteers, such as workshops in drawing, art, singing or other educational and fun activities to help broaden world perspective, gain new interests and discover unknown talents of the local children.

Weekly Schedule & Activities

Introduction Day
Your project starts with an introduction day on the first Monday including a tour of the area surrounding the accommodation, available facilities, cultural "do's and don'ts", safety concerns as well as some basic local language lessons.

Monday to Friday
Teaching time with the students is divided into two shifts, with lunch and free time back at the accommodation in between. The first shift begins in the morning from 08:00 to 11:00 and the afternoon shift from 14:00 to 17:00. You should also expect to spend time working on the next days activities/exercises, so that you are prepared and comfortable for the duration of the lesson. The main mode of transport to and from the accommodation is by bike.

The core focus of the teaching project will depend on the needs of the school at any particular point of time. Your main responsibilities are:

Preparing English lesson plans
Teaching English
Administering weekly progress tests
Small construction and renovation of school and local community

Besides passing on your English knowledge, you may also be able to share some basic hygiene and sanitation routines, as well as, your own experiences and cultural background.

The school has a lot of experience in informal teaching methods, arranging different after school programs such as sports, giving workshops and running environmental awareness campaigns with the children. Depending on the particular skills of the participants or group, we may do some arts and handicrafts as well.

The classrooms are equipped with basic teaching resources, such as a blackboard and flash cards. You are highly encouraged to bring small learning materials and items to use in your class and/or donate to our school. These things are gratefully received and help broaden the curriculum and teaching possibilities that we can offer to the students.

Much of the school has been built with the help of previous volunteers and local tradesman. However, Mr. Nuth Ya's work here is far from done. Volunteers will be able to continue to assist in the construction of new buildings and renovation work of the nearby area. We are set to work on some "educational art", in which we request our volunteer to utilize their artistic talents if possible. We would like several walls to display images and sketches of participant’s home country and culture. Examples would be flags and various other cultural symbols of the participant’s home country. We feel this is a nice way to reflect the hard and good work that has been done by the volunteers over the past six years.

Please note that the volunteer activities and schedule can change at any time based on the needs of the project, local conditions, the weather and unforeseen circumstances.

Evenings & Weekends
During the evenings the volunteers are generally free, and there are no program activities scheduled unless otherwise mentioned. Weekends are always free. Relax at your homestay accommodation, take a bicycle into town, or expand your sightseeing and visit the many sites in the Oddar Meanchey province, or take a taxi to Siem Reap for the weekend to visit the famous Angkor Wat. Our friendly staff are always there to make your choice easier with advice.

School & Public Holidays

The Greenway School has two longer holidays per year:

2019
13-21 April
27 September - 06 October

During these holidays, volunteers still can work at the school, but it is construction work only, such as:
Painting
Building pathways
Working in the vegetable garden
Planting trees
Building tables, chairs
Building a kitchen, playground, place for a shower, toilets etc.

Mandatory Volunteer Requirements

Minimum age of 18
Police clearance certificate on sign-up
Basic level of competency in English

What Makes a Good Volunteer?

Volunteers need to be flexible and keep an open mind concerning their placements as situations can arise beyond our control which could require you to be placed at a different project than the one you have initially chosen. We will of course always do our utmost to fulfill your initial wishes but do remember that where you are going is quite different from where you are coming and as such one should be prepared for things not always going according to plan.

Volunteering and intercultural travel share a common trait: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. This program is designed for proactive individuals and groups that are prepared to adapt to the local environment and its current needs. Naturally, the scheduling and activities of our program are subject to change. Alterations in activities are mainly due to changes in local conditions, which we believe is part of what makes overseas programs the interesting adventure and incredible learning experience that they are.

How Long Should I Volunteer?

Our projects range from 1 week up to approx. 30 weeks. Projects have a specified minimum stay, then it’s up to you how long you can commit. In our experience the longer you stay the more you will gain, as your understanding of the project broadens and you take on more responsibilities. Every volunteer will be given a certificate of appreciation at the end of their stay as a symbol of volunteering stay.

Optional Culture Week

This program can also include a Culture Week that is designed to introduce you to Cambodian culture, traditions and pace of life. The Culture Week is highly recommended but not mandatory - just inform your travel advisor if you wish to include it. This action-packed week will get you sightseeing, learning a few helpful phrases in Cambodian, trying out traditional Cambodian cooking, and interacting with the local people!

Explore the lively Siem Reap, a backpacker’s hotspot in the North of Cambodia with lots to do, a world famous temple close by and a vibrant night life. Then dive into the untouched, rural town of Samraong in the quaint Cambodian countryside. This is your chance to experience Cambodia from a local perspective, while you see and feel how most of the population live. Modest clothing (covering your legs and shoulders) is requested outside of the accommodation for respect of the community.

Cambodia is arguably most famous for its glorious and magnificent temples. Siem Reap and Samraong are no exception and you will be taken to the finest temples in the area. We also carefully arrange a Q&A session with local monks to enhance your understanding of Buddhism.

The Culture Week should ideally take place before starting your volunteer program. It will enhance your overall experience while staying in Cambodia - not only in terms of language, mannerisms and culture, but also in terms of the volunteer organization's overall objectives in Cambodia.

Dress Code

Modest clothing (covering the knees and shoulders) required while at school or in the community. Long cool trousers are a good idea.

Overzicht

Wat is inbegrepen?

Extra kosten tijdens tour

None

Accommodatie

Project Accommodation
The volunteer accommodation is based on single gender rooms with a maximum of 4 people per room. The rooms are equipped with a fan, cold shower and WiFi. There are no laundry facilities so please expect to wash your clothes by hand. However, there are some places where you can do laundry in the town at a small cost. There is a communal area where you can eat, relax, meet fellow participants or use the free Wifi. All volunteers are expected to be environmentally conscious and to use all resources with restraint, especially water, paper and electricity. You will be expected to clean up after yourself, and to participate in keeping the accommodation neat and organized. The volunteer accommodation is very relaxing, nice place to be after a day of volunteering, with hammocks where you can chat or read a book.

Culture Week Accommodation
During the optional Culture Week your accommodation in Siem Reap in a typical Cambodian-style house.with several common areas, including the living room and two terraces outside. The accommodation is based on single gender bunk-bed rooms with a fan, cold shower and WiFi that a maximum of 4 people will be sharing. All the meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, are included and served at the guesthouse. From Wednesday onwards you will be staying in the volunteer accommodation in the rural town of Samraong, which gives you a chance to meet the locals and learn more about local customs.

Lokaal vervoer

Arrival Information
Arrival transfer is included if you arrive on Sunday at Siem Reap airport between 06:00-16:00. Your coordinator or pick-up person will be waiting in the arrivals hall with a sign that reads "The Green Lion". You may need to wait for several participants to arrive before the group leaves the airport.

If you arrive by land you should meet at The Green Lion Siem Reap Centre in Siem Reap. The pick-up time is on Sundays at 14:00 sharp. Please let us know at the time of booking if you need to be picked up at The Green Lion Siem Reap Centre for your transfer.

If you arrive outside these times the transfer is not included. You can either make your own way to the project or arrange a transfer by taxi which takes about 3 hours and costs approximately USD30. Please confirm the price upfront with the driver and contact the Green Lion team if there are any problems.

Getting to the Project
There are bicycles for the volunteers for transportation between your accommodation and the project.

Maaltijden

Three meals are served during the week and two during the weekend. The meals are typical Cambodian style, including plenty of rice dishes, meat and at times, western food. Vegetarian options are also available. Please inform us of any dietary restrictions or intolerances during your application. However, we need to stress the point that you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of, but also as a volunteer, there is a need to be flexible and accommodating to the local food.

Houd er rekening mee

What to Bring
Mosquito repellent

Bikes
There are bikes available at no extra cost that you can use to explore the area during your free time.

Internet Access
There is WiFi at the volunteer accommodation.

Money & Shopping
There are ATMs as well as a bank in Samraong. There are numerous local shops where you can get the basics.

Specific Health Information
Malaria still exists in certain areas of Cambodia. Please check with the medical services in your home country.